Morningstar analyst Andrew Lane offers a mixed assessment of Alcoa. "Although it is a low-cost producer of alumina, this is not enough to offset a middling cost position for aluminum production," he writes on Morningstar.com.

"Additionally, aluminum prices must appreciate significantly in order for the company to generate positive economic profits."

Lane's colleague David Whiston gives a mixed view of Ford too. "It continues to increase its consideration in America, mostly because it did not take government loans and is making better cars," he writes. "More emphasis on quality is paying off as well."